BREVARD BALLET ACADEMY Performance

Elena Shokhina rehearses Alexsey Kuznetsov and Maggie Hvizdo for a performance with the Brevard Ballet Academy. Photo by Scottwood Ivers.

By PAM HARBAUGH

A relatively new ballet company makes its second year appearance Saturday evening when the BREVARD BALLET ACADEMY presents “The Classical Ballet Celebration: Dancing for Love.”

The production is under the direction and coaching of Elena Shokhina, who was trained in the celebrated Vaganova method. Ms. Shokhina went on to perform as a principal dancer with Russia’s renowned St. Petersburg Ballet. She came to the United States and became a resident dancer with the Nevada Ballet.

She came to Brevard to teach with the Space Coast Ballet and in August 2014 formed her own studio and company — the Brevard Ballet Academy.

Elena Shokhina with dancers from the Brevard Ballet Academy.

Saturday’s performance will include the ballet “Paquita” and “The Mentor,” which will feature professional dancer Alexsey Kuznetsov of Gainesville’s popular Dance Alive National Ballet. The performance also includes scenes from both classical and contemporary ballet.

Ms. Shokhina is dedicated to making the performance much more than a recital. She has created an event that the whole community should love, said her husband, Scottwood Ivers.

In fact, he said, last year he told some golfing buddies about the company’s first performance. Then he gave the comps. As an act of friendship, they went to the performance. They were blown away, he said, by what they saw. This year they’re bringing friends.

“She wants the communnity to saw ‘Oh, wow…’,” Mr. Ivers said.

Funds raised from the performance will help benefit both clients and volunteers with Candlelighters of Brevard and the Brevard Neighborhood Development Coalition.

“Classical Ballet Celebration” begins 6 p.m. Saturday in the Eau Gallie High School Performing Arts Center, 1400 Commodore Blvd, Melbourne, FL. Tickets are $20 general and $15 for seniors 65 and older and students 17 and younger. For more information, visit BrevardBallet.com. To get tickets and to show your appreciation for Brevard Ballet Academy’s support of Brevard Culture by clicking onto their ad on the right side of this page.

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Brevard Culture is the place to find the latest news and reviews of the arts in and around Brevard County, Orlando and Vero Beach Florida. We also highlight cultural news of interest outside the area. Brevard Culture editor, Pam Harbaugh, is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and served as arts writer/theater critic for more than 25 years at Florida Today newspaper.